James Bond's 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Auctioned For $6.4 Million

On Thursday, CNN reported that the street-legal 1965 Aston Martin DB5 originally created to promote the James Bond movie Thunderball—complete with functioning rotating license plates and tire slashers—sold for $6.4 million at a classic car auction in California

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Though the model was originally created to promote the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, the 1965 Aston Martin DB5—equipped with tools fit for a spy including tire slashers, fake guns, and a "bulletproof" screen—never actually appeared on-screen. Despite that, no 007 vehicles has ever sold for more than this particular DB5. The winning bid totalled $6.4 million.

The 1965 car was up for sale yesterday at a classic car auction in Monterey, California. Not only was this winning bid the highest price ever paid for a "James Bond" car, but also it was the most paid at auction, ever, for an Aston Martin DB5.

Of the spy gadgets integrated into the vehicle — all of which are completely operational — the new owner has a tire slasher, rotating license plates, nail spreaders, a "smoke" screen, an oil-slick maker, a pop-up "bulletproof" screen, and a pair of fake guns set below the front turn signals that sound realistic gunshots.

The model actually used in Thunderball went to auction back in 2010 and only sold for $4.6 million, and that DB5 did not have integrated spy gear until after the fact.